Lynch Awarded Bronze Star

[RustedOut]

Has anybody looked at a picture of that girl ? Or heard her voice ? She's just a kid ! Hardly looked like anyone capable of frontline battle duty. She was just a teenage secretary (supply clerk) for pete's sake. I'd hesitate to let her out after dark in the USA let alone Iraq. The bright star that sent her over there ought to be court marshaled.

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: RustedOut
Has anybody looked at a picture of that girl ? Or heard her voice ? She's just a kid ! Hardly looked like anyone capable of frontline battle duty. She was just a teenage secretary (supply clerk) for pete's sake. I'd hesitate to let her out after dark in the USA let alone Iraq. The bright star that sent her over there ought to be court marshaled.

The services are full of kids. Always have been, always will be.



Bleep - If for some reason you think I am belittling what you did in Korea or your service to this country, I am not.

 

[alm4rr]

THe Washington Post looks into ther Lynch Report and tells us what happened

and

The KIA who was mistaken for Lynch who fought back as also featured on ABC nightly news.

(or here)

 

[Bleep]

Bleep - If for some reason you think I am belittling what you did in Korea or your service to this country, I am not.

Oh heck no, I have found nothing in this thread that would bother me in any way.
One of my best friends is a Medal of Honor winner and I dont think we have ever talked about either his or my awards. He really earned his. I think that if a guy does not duck when being shot at he is a hero.

Bleep

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: Amirtallica
Medals are given out for bravery, not stupidity. Enough said?

Then you have just put yourself out of the running by implying that attacking a heavily armored modern battle tank with an assault rifle is anywhere within the realm of "bravery". Further, calling the Ba'athists of Saddam's regime "heroes" when they were responsible for systematically torturing, raping, and murdering thousands upon thousands of Iraqis is ludicrous.

then I find it a to be a reasonable assumption that we have no heros in the military

Given your definition of bravery and your equally twisted interpretation of "hero", I will take that as a compliment.

PFC Lynch doesn't deserve the Bronze Star, but since the awards are given out these days without any consideration to what they actually mean (after all, they are points towards promotion consideration for enlisted personnel), her award is likely to maintain parity with other Bronze Stars handed out recently (not all, mind you).

Case in point on the medal proliferation problem: The four crew members of the B-1 which dropped the bombs on what was supposedly Saddam's safehouse in Baghdad were awarded the Silver Star. They took no hostile fire enroute and merely diverted from another target and hit the pickle switch to release four 2,000lb bombs. How is that worthy of a Silver Star? A former B-52 pilot from the first Gulf War described a mission in that conflict which earned him the Silver Star, and they had significant battle damage on their aircraft to show for it (and didn't abort like some other crews).

At least the Medal of Honor still retains its prestige as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross (or DSC or Navy Cross), which they haven't been handing out like campaign buttons.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Amirtallica
Hey man and to call someone Johnny Taliban just because they believe in equality is not cool.
Personally I think patriotism is overrated. Being biased towards a certain country just becuase you were born there subconsiously eliminates your basic right to express your opinion.

Would it be even "cooler" if we handed out medals to those that used the most sneakiest and dirty tactics during the war. I'm at a loss as to who we should give it to...would it be the one where they used the pregnant woman in a taxicab as a distraction and then detonated an explosive to kill her and a couple of US soldiers...the capturing and subsequent execution of supply truck drivers...maybe using a van full of women and children to run a check point to see if they would let them through or open fire....or my personal favorite pretending to surrender by waving a white flag and then shooting at the coalition forces.

I would say give medals to all those people that stood up to Saddam through the ages and were then tortured and killed or the lawyer that alerted us to Lynch's location, but not a one should go to any Iraqi soldier.

Johnny Taliban should have been taken outside and should have received a bullet in his head. I do not like people who criticize the US or it's actions, but taking up arms against us or supporting those is a whole different ball game. Those who do should be charged with treason and dealt with accordingly.

 

[Amirtallica]

You do not like people that critisize US or it's actions?
Next thing you know you're gonna say you don't like blacks and gays.
It's called a brain. You use it to think and decide.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Amirtallica
You do not like people that critisize US or it's actions?
Next thing you know you're gonna say you don't like blacks and gays.
It's called a brain. You use it to think and decide.

I'm not the one that wanted to give medals to enemy combatants...

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Amirtallica
You do not like people that critisize US or it's actions?
Next thing you know you're gonna say you don't like blacks and gays.
It's called a brain. You use it to think and decide.

I'm not the one that wanted to give medals to enemy combatants...

Hopefully the lobotomy sessions have not impaired your judgement enough to let this one fly over your head as well.

 

[Amirtallica]

I admitted that it was not logical for the US government to give the Iraqis medals. My opinion is that Iraqis that performed true acts of heroism (maybe for the wrong cause) deserve the medal more than Jessica Lynch that not only didn't display any heroism, she also caused us a lot of trouble in getting her back. It wasn't her fault but she sure as hell isn't a hero.
You claim that you don't like anybody that critisizes the US or it's actions. That is a very stupid thing to say. It comes from your belief that the US is always right and is similar to the thought process of the Nazi soldiers.

 

[Vadatajs]

so she does the typical woman driver thing and crashes her car, is saved by iraqis, then becomes a pawn in a propaganda game...yeah, that's heroic

 

[AndrewR]

Just a pissed-off clarification: The B-1 crew received DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSSES!!!! Read what I said about that medal still meaning something -- guess not.

 

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
Just a pissed-off clarification: The B-1 crew received DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSSES!!!! Read what I said about that medal still meaning something -- guess not.

I don't know Col. Hackworth won what... 34 of them.. oops it was 34 air medals...

Distinguished Service Cross (with one Oak Leaf Cluster)
Silver Star (with nine Oak Leaf Clusters)
Legion of Merit (with three Oak Leaf Clusters)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal (with "V" Device & seven Oak Leaf Clusters)(Seven of the awards for heroism)
Purple Heart (with seven Oak Leaf Clusters)
Air Medal (with "V" Device & Numeral 34)(One for heroism and 33 for aerial achievement)
Army Commendation Medal (w/ "V" Device & 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Good Conduct Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany and Japan Clasps)
National Defense Service Medal (with one Bronze Service Star)
Korean Service Medal (with Service Stars for eight campaigns)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal (2 Silver Service Stars = 10 campaigns)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Unit Awards:

Presidential Unit Citation (with one Oak Leaf Cluster)
Valorous Unit Award (with one Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Badges & Tabs:

Combat Infantryman Badge (w/ one Star; representing 2 awards)
Master Parachutist Badge
Army General Staff Identification Badge
Foreign Awards:

United Nations Service Medal (Korea)
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device (1960)
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry (with two Gold Stars)
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry (with two Silver Stars)
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (1st Class)
Vietnam Staff Service Medal (1st Class)
Vietnam Army Distinguished Service Order, 2d Class
Vietnam Parachutist Badge (Master Level)
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (with three Palm oak leaf clusters)
Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal, First Class Unit Citation (with one Palm oak leaf cluster)
World War II Merchant Marine Awards:

Pacific War Zone Bar
Victory Medal

 

[seawolf21]

Maybe the "lack of heroes" is just an indication of the US military's advantage on the battlefield. It's hard to get into a tough, medal-producing, situation when the enemy tank is burning before they even see you.

 

[mastertech01]

Originally posted by: seawolf21
Maybe the "lack of heroes" is just an indication of the US military's advantage on the battlefield. It's hard to get into a tough, medal-producing, situation when the enemy tank is burning before they even see you.

Technology certainly has changed the way we do business on the battle field. It is proving quite clear that it can be as dangerous in winning the peace as winning the war today.